The Search
by sparrowchords
Summary: While wandering around Niles' apartment, Daphne gets stuck in a secret passageway. A late birthday gift for leighann415!


**Author's note: Happy birthday, Leigh Ann! I'm so sorry this is late, but I hope that you had an excellent birthday! Thank you for being such a great friend!**

 **This strange story came from a moment in "How to Bury a Millionaire" when Niles tells Martin about a secret door in his library. This story is set before that episode. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

"Come on in, Daphne. Make yourself comfortable." Niles opened the door for her as she stepped into his spacious and chilly apartment. The heavy door shut behind them.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane, but I am here to work, aren't I? I don't suppose I should be getting too comfortable." Daphne smiled.

"Well, I mean, until I return. I need to get us lunch first, then we'll discuss what needs to be done," Niles told her.

"Lunch? But Dr. Crane, I..."

"Don't be silly, it's no trouble. I'll be back." He smiled as he went back out into the hallway.

Daphne gave a great sigh as her eyes journeyed around the high ceilings of Niles' apartment. Hopefully, after today, she'd have enough saved to finally afford her plane ticket to Bora Bora and the vacation she'd been dreaming of for months. Dr. Crane was paying her to clean his apartment, despite his ample amount of maids, and although she did wonder why, she was grateful.

She got up and walked up the stairs, deciding to get familiar with the place before starting to clean. Niles had taken her on tours before, but with so much ground to cover, she'd forgotten most of it. She traveled through hallway after hallway, looking at the interesting art on the walls and wondering what on earth each piece was supposed to mean. It was a sad place, she thought, with no pictures hanging on the walls and no warm treasures to remind one of home. Daphne reminded herself of Dr. Crane's sad state, separated and lonely, and she felt for him. She'd make sure to give him a hug when he got back.

It seemed to her like the rooms never ended, and when one hallway stopped, another began. There was even a home gym, which made her chuckle. The Crane boys weren't really denizens of fitness.

Suddenly, a library loomed before her. She took a deep breath and strolled in, captivated by the smell of old books. On the shelves were busts of old men she didn't recognize, and in the middle of the room sat a great chair, perfect for sinking into with a good book. She strolled up and down the rows and columns of literature, searching for a familiar title. After a while, she found one, a book she had heard of, but never read, _Mrs. Dalloway_. She reached for it, grasped it, and then heard a sound like a low roar. Startled, Daphne jumped back, stumbling into a strong side table. The bookshelf had opened into a secret passageway.

"Well, my goodness," Daphne whispered into the dark lying in front of her. Slowly, she stepped inside the door. The wooden floor beneath her squeaked with each step she took. As if it were any hallway, she ran her hand along the wall, hunting for a light switch, but she didn't find any. Without warning, the door shut behind her, and for seconds, the dark encompassed her. Then, in a blink, dim lights from the ceiling came on, illuminating the passageway. Daphne wondered if she were dreaming.

Taking another breath, she began to walk through the passage, wondering where it led. She could tell that it hadn't been cleaned in years, and it smelled dirty, dusty, definitely not a Niles sort of smell. _He must not know it's here,_ she thought. Daphne followed the narrow hall around a corner and finally, to its end. She was face to face with a large door. Pushing and pulling, she couldn't get it to open. After concluding it was locked, Daphne went back through the long, mysterious hall to the bookcase door. It would not open either.

She pushed with all of her weight against it, but it wouldn't budge. _There must be some other way out,_ she thought, but after running back through the passage, she found no other possible means of escape. Daphne was trapped, and she'd have to stay that way for a while.

* * *

"I'm back, Daphne," Niles announced as he returned from the grocery store with the makings of a perfect lunch. He walked into the kitchen and placed the full paper bags on the counter, beginning to hum a happy tune. So far, his day was turning out perfectly, and he knew it would only get better. Off in his own head, he began to chop vegetables and prepare a salad. His thoughts became so full of Daphne and the wonderful afternoon they were going to have together that it took him ten minutes to realize that he hadn't seen or heard her since he had come back. Niles went outside the kitchen into the living room and called, "Daphne!"

There came no answer. He walked up a few stair steps and called, "Daphne, are you lost? Where are you?" Getting concerned, he went up to the second floor, calling her name repeatedly. He travelled all over the apartment, searching for her in every nook and every cranny. As he went into the library, he thought he heard something, something deep and soft, but he dismissed it. He checked all of the bathrooms, the guest room, the study, everywhere, but Daphne was nowhere to be found.

Shaking, Niles dialed the phone. "Yeah, Crane residence," answered Martin.

"Dad...is Daphne there with you?"

"No, Niles, I thought she was with you."

"She was, but I can't find her."

"Whaddaya mean, you can't find her? She's probably just lost in that apartment of yours."

"Dad, I've looked everywhere. She must have gone somewhere."

"You gave her a ride there, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes... Oh, Dad, what if she's...what if someone...we have to call the police, Dad."

"No, we don't, Niles, she'll turn up."

"But what if..."

"Enough 'what if's. She's fine, Niles. Now, my hot dog's done, I gotta go." Martin hung up and Niles was left holding the phone, quietly panicking. He put the phone back and sat down on the couch, unsure of what to do.

* * *

Afternoon turned to night, and still no one had heard from Daphne. Niles ate nothing, drank nothing. Frasier and Martin had come to sit with him for a time and had told him that she was probably off somewhere with friends, somewhere safe, but he could tell that even they were beginning to get worried about her. They left late that night, and Niles tried to put himself to bed, but all he could do was stare at the ceiling and pray to God that she was all right. Midnight came, and Niles decided to read. Cold and tense, he walked through the halls like a ghost and came to the library, where he again heard the same noise as before. He leaned his ear towards it and tried to follow it. It began to sound almost like a pounding, coming from the inside of one of his bookshelves. He identified the shelf, put his ear close to it, and heard a small voice. _"Help, help, help!"_ It called. Then he remembered something.

The secret door. Oh, heavens, the secret door. He had completely forgotten about it until now. Frantically, he tried to remember which book opened the passageway. He poked at books randomly until finally it opened and out stepped Daphne, framed by dim light like an angel. "Daphne!"

"Oh, Dr. Crane! Thank you, I was beginning to worry I might never get out of there!"

Niles hugged her tightly and forgot the world existed. "Daphne...my darling, I'm so sorry. I forgot about the passageway. The building staff told me about it when I moved in, but it completely slipped my mind. Will you ever, ever forgive me?"

"Of course, I will, you silly man!" She hit him on the shoulder jokingly and he tried not to wince from the pain. "It was just a little while in a corridor. It's sort of funny if you think about it."

"Funny?"

"Yes, me getting stuck in a secret passageway you'd forgotten about, imagine! I guess I should be getting home."

"No, Daphne, you'll stay here tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Come with me down to the guest room."

Once they had arrived, Daphne took off her shoes and nestled in the bed. "I'm quite tired," she said. "I suppose pounding on a heavy door will do that to you."

"Goodnight, Daphne," said Niles. "I'm so happy you're safe." His cool hand found warmth in hers. She squeezed their hands together.

"Goodnight, Dr. Crane." Letting go, she collapsed into fluffy pillows and cool sheets and Niles turned out the lights. He left her there, in peace, to rest, telling himself he'd make this up to her somehow. He'd pay for her vacation in full, he thought, climbing the stairs. He'd even pay for her to stay an extra week, he thought, walking down the hall once more. She'd stay at the best hotels and get treated at the best spas, like she deserved... Niles got in bed, and closed his eyes, the weight of worry gone.

* * *

 **The End**


End file.
